Posted By RVBusiness On November 4, 2010 @ 10:28 am In Breaking News | No Comments

The leader of Indiana’s largest business advocacy group says Tuesday’s election results could mean a “sigh of relief” for Hoosier businesses, but cautions that “incredibly difficult” choices lie ahead in crafting the next state budget.

Indiana Chamber of Commerce President Kevin Brinegar says Republican gains at the state and national levels should provide some certainty for businesses that have “been on the sidelines,” reluctant to invest money and hire workers.

So far, Republicans have picked up 10 seats in the Indiana House and four seats in the Senate.

Brinegar also says the potential for gridlock in Washington coulld be a mixed bag for businesses.

He says some legislation that could harm businesses could be stalled, while other initiatives, specifically the so-called Bush tax cuts, might be allowed to expire.

Republicans gain of 10 seats in the Indiana House, giving them a 58-42 margin with two or more races awaiting final counts.

On the Senate side, the GOP also made significant gains, picking up four seats to reach a 37-13 margin.

Indiana Business for Responsive Government (IBRG), the non-partisan political action program of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, scored one of the biggest election wins in its history.

Seventy-four of 84 IBRG-endorsed candidates were victorious. Not a single pro-jobs incumbent endorsed by IBRG was defeated, while 15 new legislators won with IBRG-endorsements. IBRG was significantly-engaged in support of 14 top-target challenger and open-seat races, as well as successfully defending five pro-business incumbents seriously challenged with defeat.